Envelope handling and manufacturing machinery

ABSTRACT

Envelope-handling machinery of the type for use in conjunction with a device for inserting clasps and reinforced holes in envelopes. The machinery includes a pneumatic device at the insert end of the clasp inserting device for assisting in the opening of the envelope flap. Additionally, an arrangement is provided at the output end of the clasp-inserting device for folding the flap of the envelope to the closed position.

United States Patent [1 1 Moinester et al.

[ 51 Sept. 11, 1973 ENVELOPE HANDLING AND MANUFACTURING MACHINERY [76] Inventors: Marvin Moinester, 47 Winesap Ln.,

Monsey, NY. 10952; Allen Moinester, 706 Sherwood St., North Woodmere, NY. 11581 22 Filed: Feb. 4, 1972 21 Appl. 190.; 223,593

[52] US. Cl 93/61 R, 93/61 B, 93/84 FF [51] Int. Cl B3lb H52 [58] Field of Search 93/61 B, 61 R, 53 SD,

93/84 FF, 53 R, 52

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 2,197,828 4/1940 Novick 93/61 B 2,682,206 6/1954 Vogt 93/61 R X 2,852,842 9/1958 Skow 93/61 B X 2,387,605 10/1945 Novick 93/61 B Primary Examiner-Andrew RJuhasz, Assistant Examiner-James F. Coan Att0mey-Paul Fields [57] ABSTRACT Envelope-handling machinery of the type for use in conjunction with a device for inserting clasps and reinforced holes in envelopes. The machinery includes a pneumatic device at the insert end of the clasp inserting device for assisting in the opening of the envelope flap. Additionally, an arrangement is provided at the output end of the clasp-inserting device for folding the flap of the envelope to the closed position.

7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDSEPNW 3.157.652

SHEET 2 BF 2 F/G. 4b

ENVELGIPIE HANDLING AND MANUFACTURENG MACIIIIENIIIRY This invention relates generally to envelope-handling and manufacturing machinery and particularly to automatic machinery for folding and unfolding envelope flaps and for inserting the clasp and reinforced hole in clasp envelopes.

The familiar heavy-weight brown envelope often used for mailing, is often provided with a metal clasp on the back surface of the envelope and a reinforced hole on its flap. In use, the prongs of the clasp are bent upward, the flap is bent over so the prongs pass through the reinforced hole, and then the prongs are bent down, securing the flap shut. An automatic machine is used to insert the clasp into the back of the envelope and to also make the reinforced hole in the flap. Such machines are conventional, and are well known in the art. These machines receive at their input blank envelopes which are stacked on the machine. The machines take these envelopes one at a time, insert the clasps and reinforced hole, and deliver an envelope having a clasp and reinforced hole at their output. However, the envelopes emerge from the clasp-inserting machine with the flap bent open. It has been found that it is necessary to often have the clasp envelopes with their flaps folded shut. The prior art machinery, however, does not perform this folding-shut function.

Therefore, it is the purpose of the present invention to provide an apparatus which may be used in conjunction with an automatic envelope clasp-inserting machine which will fold shut the flaps of the envelopes as they emerge from the machine. The invention, however, is not limited for use with such clasp-inserting machinery, and may find general application wherever envelope flaps need to be folded.

A further difficulty encountered with prior art claspinserting machinery is at the input to such machine. In some operations, the unclasped envelopes are fed to the machine with their flaps folded shut. The machine, to insert the clasps, requires that the flap be extended or opened. Thus, it is a further purpose of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for unfolding envelope flaps as they are fed into a clasp-inserting envelope machine. This aspect of the invention is not limited to clasp-inserting machinery but may be used generally wherever it is necessary to unfold the flaps on folded envelopes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWHNGS FIG. l is a perspective view from above of an envelope flap-unfolding apparatus of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective veiw from below of the flap unfolding apparatus of FIG. II;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view from above of a flapfolding apparatus of the invention;

FIGS. 4a and 4b are side views of the flap-folding apparatus of FIG. 3 and showing an envelope in FIG. 4a with the flap unfolded or extended and waiting to be folded, and in FIG. 4b after the flap has been folded; and

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing in schematic form the envelope flap-unfolding apparatus of FIGS. ii and 2, and the folding apparatus of FIGS. 3 and 4 in cooperation with a clasp-inserting machine.

Referring now to FIG. ll, there is shown a perspective view from above of the envelope flap-unfolding apparatus designated generally by the legend Ml). A plurality of envelopes are in a stack, shown generally as 12. The envelopes in the stack, it will be noted, have their flaps folded closed as shown on the end envelope on the stack M. The envelopes on the stack all face the same way, and the flaps are on the same side. The stack of envelopes is placed into a support rack 16 with the flap end of the envelopes facing downward. The support rack 16 is normally inclined at an angle from the horizontal so the envelopes lead downward and against a pair of bottom supports 18. The supports are perpendicular to the support rack 16. A plurality of wheels 20 are located on the support rack near the bottom supports 118 and form part of a feed mechanism for facilitating movement of the bottommost envelope and feeding it from the unfolding apparatus. In a typical application the envelopes are fed one at a time from the unfolding apparatus of FIG. ll into, for example, a machine which inserts clasps into the envelopes and also provides a reinforced hole in the envelope flap to receive the clasp. A bar 22 extends trnasverse to the support rack and is positioned on the rack such that the envelope flaps are not engaged by said bar. This can best be seen in FIG. 2 in which the bar does not nonnally touch the flap of the bottommost envelope as the envelope lays in the support rack. An air suction hose 24 is located with its open suction end adjacent to the bottom of the stack and at such a position that it engages the flap of the bottommost envelope. This can best be seen in FIG. 2 where a suction hose head 26 is adjacent to the flap 2% of the bottommost envelope.

Additionally, a lower air suction hose 25 is positioned below the hose 24 adjacent the bottom of the bottommost envelope. The open suction end of the hose 25 is positioned to engage the bottom portion of the envelope and pull the same inwardly toward rotating feed wheels 20 positioned on either side of the hose 25. The feed mechanism comprising the suction hose 25 and rotating feed wheels 26 is conventional and is not described in detail herein. Briefly, the suction hose 25 engages the bottornrnost envelope M of the stack 12 and draws the bottom portion thereof inwardly toward the wheels Ztl. The wheels are provided with conventional grippers or gripping devices, not shown, which grip the bottom of the envelope as the wheels 2% rotate. The continued rotation of the wheels causes the envelope to move downwardly in the direction of the arrow 21 and into the machine. As the envelope moves downwardly, the suction hose 25 is moved rearwardly under control of an appropriate mechanism (not shown) until the bottommost envelope is released by the grippers and is drawn into the clasp-inserting machine. Thereafter, as the wheels 20 continue rotating and carry the grippers around for engagement with the now bottommost envelope, the air hose 25 moves forward in synchronism therewith to draw the next envelope into engagement with the grippers. It should be noted that the air hose 24 may similarly be moved under control of an appropriate mechanism 27 so that the air hose 24 moves forward to engage the flap 28 as the envelope is gripped, and moves rearwardly as the envelope is drawn downwardly.

The operation of the flap-opening apparatus is as follows. As the stack 12 is placed upon the support rack 16 the flap 28 of the bottommost envelope 14 is drawn or engaged by the suction head 26 from the suction hose 2a. As the wheels 20 of the feed mechanism advance the bottommost envelope from the stack as shown by the arrow 21 in FIG. 2, the suction at the head 26 momentarily holds onto the flap and partially draws the flap open. Additionally, the suction head moves slightly rearwardly, as noted above, thereby further opening the flap. The envelope advances leaving the suction hose behind but with the flap partially open. The partially-open flap then is engaged by the bar 22 and as the envelope is further advanced by the grippers on wheels of the feed mechanism, the flap is caught between the bar 22 and the envelopes on the stack. This causes the flap to be pushed back and completely opened as the envelope with the flap slides betweenthe bar 22 and the envelopes of the stack 12. A second bar 29 is located inward from the first bar 22 and assists in pressing the flap open. However, the second bar is not considered to be essential to the invention. As the bottommost envelope is drawn from the bottom of the stack, the next envelope becomes the bottom one of the stack, and it is in a position to have its flap engaged by the suction at the suction head 26. As it in turn is fed by the wheels from the apparatus, it is partially opened, and then as the envelope is fed further the cycle is repeated for this envelope, and for each other envelope in the stack.

It should be known that the support rack 16 is shown in this figure schematically and that a practical support rack will include not only bottom supports for the bars but also side supports to keep the stack straight. Furthermore, the bottom supports 18 would probably also include side supports to keep the stack straight. There may also be other stack-aligning machinery, as well as a suitable force placed on top of the stack so as to press the bottommost envelope, and of course, the last envelope, downward so that it will engage the suction hose and be properly fed by the gripper roller. The suction hoses 24 and 25, are, of course, connected to a suitable pneumatic source of negative pressure, not shown.

The typical application for a flap-unfolding apparatus, discussed above, is where the unfolded envelopes are fed into a machine which inserts a clasp on the back of the envelope and a reinforced hole in the envelope flap. This type of automatic machine after inserting the clasp and reinforced hole will deliver the clasp envelope onto an output or receiving station with the flap folded open. In certain applications it is desirable and necessary that the envelopes have their flaps folded closed. An apparatus for folding envelope flaps closed is shown in FIGS. 3, 4a and 4b. The FIGS. 40 and 4b are front views of FIG. 3 and like items in these three figures bear like legend.

Referring to FIG. 3 there is shown a receiving platform which includes a fixed base or surface 30 on which there is a movable web which typically may be a conveyor belt 32. A mechanical stop 34 is positioned parallel to the conveyor belt and rests on its surface. The envelopes are fed onto the receiving station from the left to the right, closed-end first so that the closed end of the envelope comes up against the stop 34. In

" this figure the back side of the envelope, the side having the clasp, is shown facing up. The envelopes emerge with their flaps unfolded.

A fixed bar 36 is mounted on the fixed base 30. It extends upward and over the web 32. A straight portion of the bar 38 which is over the movable web 32 is parallel to the stop 34. Envelopes are fed to the receiving station from the left in the figure, such that the face of the envelope (i.e., the surface here facing downward) lands on the straight portion 38 of the fixed bar 36. The stop 34 and the straight portion of the bar are positioned such that a creased edge 40, i.e., the fold line between the face of the envelope and its flap, is positioned close to the straight portion 38 of the fixed bar 36. While variations in dimensions may be used, it has been found preferable to have the straight portion 38 of the bar be in contact with the face of the envelope rather than with the flap, and the straight portion be approximately one-eighth to one-quarter inch from the crease edge 40 of the envelope. This can be clearly seen in FIG. 4a which is a front view partially in section of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 4a is not drawn to scale and the envelope dimensions are slightly exaggerated. In this figure there is shown the fixed base 30 and conveyor belt 32 in cross section and the envelope with its face resting on the fixed bar 36. The creased edge 40, it will be noted, projects beyond the fixed bar.

A movable bar 42 is mounted on a rotatable element 44 for movement between a first and second position. The bar 42 moves in a plane angulated with respect to the straight portion 38 of the fixed bar 36 and to the fixed base surface 30, as indicated by the line 43 in FIG. 4a. The movable bars path of travel is inward from the contact of the fixed bar with the envelope, i.e., between the fixed bar and the stop 34. The first position of the bar 42 is an up position which is shown in FIG. 40. It is in this position when the envelope is fed onto the receiving platform and the up position is sufficiently high to permit the envelope to be fed between the two bars 36 and 42. When the envelope comes to rest with its bottom edge against the stop 34, the movable bar is pivoted by the pivot mechanism 44 (suitably driven by means not shown) from its upward to its downward position which is shown in phantom FIG. 4a. It will be noted that the movable bar sweeps past the fixed bar with the envelope caught in between so that the envelope is pushed around to the other side of the straight portion 38 of the fixed bar 36. This causes the envelope flap to bend at its creased edge. The movable bar 42 then returns to its up or original position. The flap is now partially bent over. It has a resiliency and tends to unbend. However, it is prevented from completely unbending by the overlying straight portion of the fixed bar. This can best be seen in FIG. 4b. The next envelope fed onto the receiving table lands substantially on top of the first envelope and as the cycle is repeated the second envelope lands on top of the first envelope, with its flap folded and underneath the fixed bar. This second envelope, of course, presses down on the partially folded flap of the first envelope and tends to further close it. The cycle is repeated for the third, fourth and subsequent envelopes. The envelopes are now arranged in a line with their flaps folded closed. When a preselected number of envelopes have exited from the clasp-inserting machine a kicker (not shown), which is conventional in the art, is employed to push the last few envelopes on the conveyor belt to provide a space between the preceding and succeeding envelopes. Thus, this space indicates the separation between said preselected number of envelopes to facilitate counting and packaging thereof.

It has been found in practice that it is desirable that the movable bar pass close to the fixed bar. A dimension of one-quarter inch spacing has been found to give best results with ordinary weight kraft paper envelopes. It will be appreciated that other dimensions may be used, however, for other weight envelopes and for envelopes with unusually large flaps or other dimensions. It has been also found advantageous that the bars, when passing each other with this small dimension be parallel to one another.

Referring now the the block diagram of FIG. 5 there is show-n in schematic form a flap-unfolding apparatus 46 which may be of the kind shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 receiving a stack of folded envelopes. The apparatus 46 unfolds the flaps and delivers the envelopes to a claspinserting machine 48. This machine may be of any convenient or conventional kind such as the Automatic Feed Fastener Machine, Type AF, manufactured by the F. L. Smithe Machine Company, Inc. of New York City. This machine includes a suitable drive mechanism for operating the gripper wheels which are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The clasp-inserting machine 48 inserts the clasp in the back face of the envelope, and a reinforced hole in the flap of the envelope. The machine feeds these clasped envelopes one at a time at its output. A flap-folding mechanism 50 is located at this output, and the flap-folding mechanism 50 may be of the kind shown in FIG. 3. The Automatic Feed Fastener Machine, Type AF mentioned above, includes a suitable drive means, synchronized with the output feeding of the envelopes, to operate the pivot mechanism 44 shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings. In summary, FIG. 5 shows in block form a machine which will receive a stack of envelopes whose flaps are folded, and insert clasps and reinforced holes in said envelopes, and deliver the clasped envelopes in stacks with their flaps also closed.

The flap-unfolding apparatus of this invention, as well as the flap-folding apparatus of this invention have been shown and described with reference to their application with a particular clasp-inserting machine. While these inventions were originally devised to cooperate with a clasp-inserting machine and provide a stack of clasp envelopes with flaps folded, these aspects of the invention are not limited to their use in combination with a clasp-folding machine, but may find application elsewhere wherever flap folding and/or unfolding are needed.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for use with envelope machinery of the type having a bed which receives the envelope and a stop against which the bottom edge of the envelope rests wherein said apparatus is adapted to fold closed the envelope flaps along a flap crease edge, said apparatus comprising a first stationary bar having a bight portion upstanding from said bed and spaced from said stop by a distance less than the distance between the bottom edge of an envelope and the envelope crease edge, a second bar movable from a first position wherein said second bar is spaced above said bight portion and substantially parallel thereto to a second position below said bight portion in a path which includes movement of said second bar in close proximity to said bight portion of said first bar, and means for moving said second bar from said first to said second position whereby an envelope received between said first and second bars is engaged by said second bar and moved downwardly below said bight portion to cause said bight portion to fold said flap along said crease edge.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said bar moving means causes said bars to pass within the range of one-eighth to one-quarter inch of each other.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said first of said bars is fixed and the other of said bars is movable, said positioning means positions said envelope whose flap is to be folded with a face of said envelope resting on said first bar less than one inch from said crease edge.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said moving means causes said movable bar to move in a plane substantially angulated with respect to said first bar.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said moving means includes means for imparting an arcuate movement to said movable bar.

6. An apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising a receiving platform on said other side of said fixed bar and positioned closer to said fixed bar than the width of said envelope flap, whereby said envelopes, as their flaps are folded land upon a previously folded envelope and hold said previously folded envelope flap closed, and said topmost of said folded envelopes having its flap capable of resting against said fixed bar.

7. An envelope-processing machine comprising means for holding a plurality of envelopes in a stack with all the flaps facing one end of the stack; means for feeding said envelopes one at a time from said end of said stack; pneumatic means for partially opening the flaps of each envelope as it is fed by the feeding means from the end of said stack; mechanical means for completely opening said partially-opened flap as said envelope is fed by said feeding means from said stack; means for receiving said folded envelopes and for perfonning operations on said envelopes and for delivering said envelopes at a delivery station one at a time with their flaps folded open, a pair of bars at said delivery station; means for positioning an envelope one at a time between said bars with a crease edge of said envelope close to a first of said bars and substantially parallel to said first bar; means for relatively moving said bars past one another for pushing said envelope from one side of one of said bars to the other side of said one bar, and thereby folding said flap at its crease edge of said envelope close to a first of said bars and substantially parallel to said first bar. 

1. An apparatus for use with envelope machinery of the type having a bed which receives the envelope and a stop against which the bottom edge of the envelope rests wherein said apparatus is adapted to fold closed the envelope flaps along a flap crease edge, said apparatus comprising a first stationary bar having a bight portion upstanding from said bed and spaced from said stop by a distance less than the distance between the bottom edge of an envelope and the envelope crease edge, a second bar movable from a first position wherein said second bar is spaced above said bight portion and substantially parallel thereto to a second position below said bight portion in a path which includes movement of said second bar in close proximity to said bight portion of said first bar, and means for moving said second bar from said first to said second position whereby an envelope received between said first and second bars is engaged by said second bar and moved downwardly below said bight portion to cause said bight portion to fold said flap along said crease edge.
 2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said bar moving means causes said bars to pass within the range of one-eighth to one-quarter inch of each other.
 3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said first of said bars is fixed and the other of said bars is movable, said positioning means positions said envelope whose flap is to be folded with a face of said envelope resting on said first bar less than one inch from said crease edge.
 4. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said moving means causes said movable bar to move in a plane substantially angulated with respect to said first bar.
 5. An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said moving means includes means for imparting an arcuate movement to said movable bar.
 6. An apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising a receiving platform on said other side of said fixed bar and positioned closer to said fixed bar than the width of said envelope flap, whereby said envelopes, as their flaps are folded land upon a previously folded envelope and hold said previously folded envelope flap closed, and said topmost of said folded envelopes having its flap capable of resting against said fixed bar.
 7. An envelope-processing machine comprising means for holding a plurality of envelopes in a stack with all the flaps facing one end of the stack; means for feeding said envelopes one at a time from said end of said stack; pneumatic means for partially opening the flaps of each envelope as it is fed by the feeding means from the end of said stack; mechanical means for completely opening said partially-opened flap as said envelope is fed by said feeding means from said stack; means for receiving said folded envelopes and for performing operations on said envelopes and for delivering said envelopes at a delivery station one at a time with their flaps folded open, a pair of bars at said delivery station; means for positioning an envelope one at a time between said bars with a crease edge of said envelope close to a first of said bars and substantially parallel to said first bar; means for relatively moving said bars past one another for pushing said envelope from one side of one of said bars to the other side of said one bar, and thereby folding said flap at its crease edge of said envelope close to a first of said bars and substantially parallel to said first bar. 